Libyan Army

See also: Libyan Army (1951–2011) and Libyan National Army

The Libyan Army^[2] (Arabic: الجيش الليبي) is the brand for a number of separate military forces in Libya, which were under the command of the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) and the Government of National Unity (GNU).

Libyan Army
الجيش الليبي
Libyan Army Flag
Active	1951 (Cyrenaica Liberation Army) 2016 (current form)
Country	Libya
Allegiance	Government of National Unity Presidential Council Formerly Government of National Accord
Type	Army
Role	Land warfare
Size	6000 (Greater Tripoli, Aug 2019)[1]: 7  2200–2400 (Sirte, Aug 2019)[1]: 8
Part of	Libyan Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Tripoli
Colors	Black, red
Commanders
Commander-in Chief	Mohamed al-Menfi
Chief of General Staff	Mohammad Ali al-Haddad

Since December 2015 the groups of the Libyan Army has been nominally subordinated to the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli. Due to the instability in the country in 2011 civil war and the outbreak of a new conflict in 2014, the Libyan ground forces remain structurally divided, with components constituting the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) under the command of Khalifa Haftar.^[3] The forces loyal to the GNA have been fighting against various other factions in Libya, including the Islamic State.^[4][5] Some efforts have been made to create a truly national army, but most of the forces under the Tripoli government's command consist of various militia groups, such as the Tripoli Protection Force, and local factions from cities like Misrata and Zintan.^[6][7]

Organization

There are two main warfare organizations in Libya: GNA Libyan army and LNA. The other major military force in Libya is the Libyan National Army (LNA), which in 2014 evolved from what was originally called the LNA in 2011 following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. In 2014, the LNA came under the control of Marshal Khalifa Haftar and the House of Representatives, whose geographical location is in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk.

In 2017, there was no truly unified army or air force under the Presidential Council's command, and only the Libyan Navy was fully operating under the GNA's control.^[8] The Tripoli government aimed to integrate many different militia groups into a regular command structure,^[4][9][10] and created a Presidential Guard. Prime Minister Sarraj hold the role of supreme commander of the army.^[11] The Libyan Army is commanded by the GNA Defense Ministry, which was initially led by Colonel Al-Mahdi Al-Barghathi from 2016^[12] until he was removed in July 2018, at which point GNA Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj took on the role of defense minister.^[13][7] The Chief of the General Staff was Major General Abdel Rahman al-Taweel,^[8] from September 2017 until his removal in February 2019, being replaced by Lieutenant General Mohammed al-Shareef.^[14]

2017–2018

Since the establishment of the Government of National Accord in 2016 clashes continued to occur between different factions in Tripoli nominally loyal to the new UN-backed unity government, leaving hundreds dead. Khalifa al-Ghawil proclaimed the creation of a new government consisting of the former General National Congress.^[15] Elements of the Presidential Guard defected to the rebels and took over key buildings in the capital.^[16][17] Pro-GNA forces eventually were able to defeat the GNC coup attempt.^[18][19] Around mid-2017, militias allied to the GNA fully secured the capital. In August 2018 fighting broke out between different groups in Tripoli that were all nominally subordinated to the GNA's defense ministry, forcing Prime Minister Sarraj to call in other militias from different towns outside the capital. A unit called the 7th Brigade had rebelled, leading to its dissolution.^[7][20]

2019

On 6 April 2019, a joint operations room was formed in response to Khalifa Haftar's attack on Tripoli to coordinate their military forces. It is led by Western military zone commander Osama al-Juwaili and includes the heads of the Tripoli and Central military zones, the Counter-Terrorism Force, and representatives from the Presidential Guard and Military Intelligence Bureau.^[11]

In response to a common interest in defending Tripoli against the LNA, the armed militias that in mid 2019 composed the armed forces of the GNA coordinated with one another mainly by agreement among armed group commanders rather than by the official command structure. The militias remained mostly autonomous in decision-making while formally being integrated into the GNA chain of command. Lacher Wolfram, writing in a Security Assessment in North Africa publication, described this as "bottom-up integration" and a "remarkable development" that "could potentially serve as a starting point for the creation of properly integrated forces ... [with] loyalty to a unified command structure".^[1]

Military zones

On 1 June 2017, the GNA announced the creation of seven military zones throughout Libya. They include Tripoli, Benghazi, Tobruk, Sabha (Southern), Kufra, Central (from Misrata to Zuwetina), and Western (west of Tripoli to Jebel Nafusa) . The commanders of each zone were responsible for training and preparation of the forces in their area and answered to the Libyan army chief of staff. Not all of the territories accounted for were under the GNA's control at the time.^[21][22][23]

The leaders of the military zones are as follows.

• Tripoli: Maj. Gen. Abdel Basset Marwan (from 14 March 2018) – Militia leader from Tripoli.^[10][24][25]
• Western: Maj. Gen. Osama al-Juwaili (from 4 June 2017) – Zintan military council leader.^[22][25]
• Central: Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Haddad (from 4 June 2017) – Halbous Brigade leader from Misrata.^[22]
• Southern (Sabha): Ali Kanna (from 6 February 2019) – Tuareg militia leader.^[25][26]
• Kufra: Brig. Belgasim al-Abaj – tribal leader from Kufra.^[27]

Known units

• Tripoli Protection Force
• Shura Council of Benghazi Revolutionaries
• Libya Shield Force
• Petroleum Facilities Guard
• Tuareg militias in Fezzan^[28][29]
• Tripoli Revolutionaries Brigade^[30]
• Abu Saleem Central Security Force^[31]
• Omar Mukhtar force: 2000 Syrian National Army mercenaries funded at US$2,000 per month arriving in December 2019/January 2020; 650 arrived in Libya by 29 December and deployed to frontline positions in East Tripoli.^[32]
• Turkish military advisory personnel: 35 as of 15 January 2020^[update][32]

Allies

One of the GNA main allies is Turkey. Turkey had deployed weapons and equipment to GNA troops even before the Government of National Accord (GNA) requested Turkish military support in December 2019.^[33] Turkey's engagement for the GNA is linked to its broader strategic interests in the Eastern Mediterranean: in November, Turkey and GNA leader Fayez al-Serraj signed a defense cooperation deal. At the same time GNA and Turkey agreed one on maritime boundaries in the Eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey is locked in a dispute with regional rivals Greece, Cyprus, Egypt and Israel over access to sea regions rich in natural gas.

Equipment

Weapons

Model	image	type	Calibre	Quantity	Origin	Notes
Pistol
TT-33[34]		Semi-automatic pistol	7.62×25mm Tokarev		Soviet Union
Makarov PM[35]		Semi-automatic pistol	9×18mm Makarov		Soviet Union
Browning Hi-Power[36]		Semi-automatic pistol	9×19mm Parabellum		Belgium
Glock 17[citation needed]		Automatic Pistol	9×19mm Parabellum		Austria
SAR 9[citation needed]		Semi-automatic pistol	9×19mm Parabellum		Turkey
Caracal F		Semi-automatic pistol	9x19mm Parabellum		United Arab Emirates	Purchased and issued to the Ministry of Interior of Libya staff.[37]
Submachine gun
Heckler & Koch MP5[36]		Submachine gun	9×19mm Parabellum		West Germany
FN P90[38]		Submachine gun	FN 5.7×28mm		Belgium
Shotgun
Benelli M4 Super 90[39][40]		Semi-automatic shotgun	12 gauge	1800	Italy	An order were delivered prior of the start of the Libyan revolution of 2011, later used by Libyan special forces.
Winchester Model 1200[41]		Pump-action shotgun	12 gauge		United States
Battle rifle and assault rifle
MPT-55		Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO		Turkey	MPT-55K assault rifles supplied by Turkey.[42]
Heckler & Koch G3[43]		Battle rifle	7.62×51mm NATO		West Germany  Turkey
M4A1[44]		Carbine	5.56×45mm NATO		United States
M16[44]		Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO		United States
Heckler & Koch G36[45][46][47][48][49]		Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	600	Germany	G36 (variants KV and E) were legally sold from Egypt in 2003, pressumably used by the Khamis Brigade/Special Forces (although this remains unclear), anti-Gaddafi forces, most notably the Tripoli Brigade, would later capture an unknown number of stockpiled G36 from the Bab al-Azizia armory.
AK-47[50]		Assault rifle	7.62×39mm		Soviet Union
AKM[51]		Assault rifle	7.62×39mm		Soviet Union
AK-103[52]		Assault rifle	7.62×39mm		Russia	Formerly used by Gaddafi Loyalists and later captured by anti-Gaddafi forces.
PM md. 63[53]		Assault rifle	7.62×39mm		Romania
Zastava M70[36]		Assault rifle	7.62×39mm		Yugoslavia
Norinco CQ[54]		Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO		China	Chinese unlicensed copy of M16 rifle, used by the National Liberation Army.
Type 65[55]		Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO		Taiwan	Taiwanese copy of the M16 rifle
Beretta AR70/90[citation needed]		Assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO		Italy
FN F2000[56][57]		Bullpup assault rifle	5.56×45mm NATO	367	Belgium	Purchased from FN Herstal in 2008, delivery commenced in 2009, durning the Libyan Civil War of 2011, Libyan rebels captured an unknown number of F2000 from Gaddafi loyalists.
FN FAL[36]		Battle rifle	7.62×51mm NATO		Belgium
Sniper rifle
Barrett M82[citation needed]		Anti-materiel rifle	.50 BMG		United States
SVD Dragunov[51]		Sniper rifle	7.62×54mmR		Soviet Union
PSL[58]		Sniper rifle	7.62×54mmR		Romania	Formerly used by anti-Gaddafi forces.
Machine gun
PK[36]		General-purpose machine gun	7.62×54mmR		Soviet Union
RPK[34]		Light machine gun	7.62×39mm		Soviet Union
RPD[34]		Light machine gun	7.62×39mm		Soviet Union
FN Minimi[59][36]		Light machine gun	5.56×45mm NATO		Belgium
FN MAG[36]		General-purpose machine gun	7.62×51mm NATO		Belgium
M2 Browning[44]		Heavy machine gun	.50 BMG		United States
DShK[43]		Heavy machine gun	12.7×108mm		Soviet Union
Grenade-based weapon
GM-94		Pump-action grenade launcher	43×30mm		Russia	Used by anti-Gaddafi forces.[60]
Daewoo K4[61]		Automatic grenade launcher	40×53mm		South Korea	First export customer
Anti-tank weapons
RPG-7[34]		Rocket-propelled grenade launcher	40 mm		Soviet Union	Used by both sides durning the Libyan Civil War.
M40[62]		Recoilless rifle	105 mm		United States	US, Chinese and Iran made variants used.
SPG-9[62]		Recoilless rifle	73 mm smoothbore		Soviet Union
9M14 Malyutka[63]		Anti-tank guided missile	125 mm		Soviet Union
9K115 Metis		Anti-tank guided missile	94 mm		Soviet Union	Supplied by Turkey to the GNA.[64]
MILAN		Anti-tank guided missile	115 mm		France  West Germany	Supplied by Qatar during the 2011 Libyan Civil War.[65]

Artillery

Name	Image	Type	Origin	Quantity	Notes
Rocket artillery
Type 63 multiple rocket launcher		107mm MLRS	People's Republic of China	1+	Some were captured from the LNA.[66]
BM-21 Grad		122mm MLRS	Soviet Union	4+	Some were captured from the LNA.[66]
T-122 Sakarya[67]		122mm MLRS	Turkey	20+	Supplied by Turkey
Self-propelled howitzer
2S1 Gvozdika		122mm	Soviet Union	1+	Formerly used by Gaddafi forces. Some were captured from the LNA.[66]
Palmaria[68]		155mm	Italy	9+	Some were captured from the LNA.[66]
T-155 Fırtına		155mm	Turkey		Unknown amount supplied by Turkey.[42]
Towed howitzer
M114		155mm	United States		Donated to the Libyan Army by Turkey.[69]
D-30[68]		122mm	Soviet Union	2+	Some were captured from the LNA.[66]
M-46		130mm	Soviet Union	6	Captured from the LNA.[66]
Mortar
M1938		120mm	Soviet Union	Unknown	Used by anti-Gaddafi Forces during the 2011 Libyan Civil War.[70]
Anti-aircraft systems
ZPU		14.5mm Anti-aircraft gun	Soviet Union		Used by both sides durning the 2011 Libyan Civil War.[71] Mounted on technicals.[68]
ZU-23-2		23mm Anti-aircraft gun	Soviet Union		Mounted on technicals.[68]
ZSU-23-4		23mm Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun	Soviet Union		Used by both sides durning the 2011 Libyan Civil War.[72]
KORKUT		35mm Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun	Turkey		Supplied by Turkey.[42]
QW-13		Man-portable air-defense system	China		[68]
MIM-23 Hawk		Medium-range Surface-to-air missile system	United States		Supplied by Turkey.[42]
Hisar O+		Medium-range Surface-to-air missile system	Turkey		Supplied by Turkey to replace MIM-23 Hawk.[73]

Vehicles

Model	Image	Origin	Variant	Number	Details
Main battle tanks
T-54/T-55[68]		Soviet Union  Egypt	T-55A T-55E	59+	Some were captured from the LNA.[66]
T-62		Soviet Union  Russia	T-62M T-62MV	20	Captured from LNA forces.[66]
T-72[68]		Soviet Union	T-72 T-72M1	3+	Some were captured from LNA forces.[66]
M60 Patton		United States  Turkey	M60A1	3	Supplied by Turkey.[42][74]
Infantry fighting vehicles
BMP-1		Soviet Union			Some were captured from the LNA.[66]
BMP-2[68]		Soviet Union
Ratel IFV		South Africa	Ratel 20 Ratel 60	2	Captured from the LNA.[66]
Armored cars
EE-9 Cascavel		Brazil		2+	Some were captured from the LNA.[66]
Armoured personnel carriers
FNSS ACV-15[68]		Turkey	ACV-AAPC		Supplied by Turkey.[69]
Steyr 4K-7FA[68]		Austria
Mbombe 6[68]		South Africa
KADDB Al-Wahsh[68]		Jordan		5+	Captured from the LNA.[66]
BMC Kirpi[68]		Turkey	Kirpi II		Supplied by Turkey.[69]
BMC Vuran[68]		Turkey			Supplied by Turkey.[69]
Lenco BearCat[68]		United States	G3
Nimr[68]		United Arab Emirates	Ajban	1+	Captured from the LNA.[66]
STREIT Group Cougar		Canada		4	Captured from the LNA.[66]
STREIT Group Spartan		Canada		3	Captured from the LNA.[66]
Panthera T6		United Arab Emirates		3	Captured from the LNA.[66]
Panthera F9		United Arab Emirates		1	Captured from the LNA.[66]
HMMWV		United States		3+	Part of a batch of 200 vehicles sent by the US to Libya in 2012. Some were captured from the LNA.[66]
Military engineering vehicles
Centurion AVRE[68]		United Kingdom	AVRE 105
Tank destroyers
9P157-2 Khrizantema-S[68]		Russia
Trucks
Toyota Land Cruiser		Japan	HZJ 79		Used as technicals.[75]
Iveco Trakker		Italy	Trakker 380	1	Captured from the LNA.[66]
KAMAZ		Russia	?	2	Captured from the LNA.[66]